A discussion with our friend Trevor led me to the best George Eliot quotes. (It’s a long-ish story.) At any rate, I loved what follows:
Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact.
I think I should have no other mortal wants, if I could always have plenty of music. It seems to infuse strength into my limbs and ideas into my brain. Life seems to go on without effort, when I am filled with music.
I’m proof against that word failure. I’ve seen behind it. The only failure a man ought to fear is failure of cleaving to the purpose he sees to be best.
It’s never too late to be who you might have been.
The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.
The golden moments in the stream of life rush past us and we see nothing but sand; the angels come to visit us, and we only know them when they are gone.
The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another.
The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.
There’s folks ‘ud stand on their heads and then say the fault was i’ their boots.
The scornful nostril and the high head gather not the odors that lie on the track of truth.
What we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.